Yellowjackets score 72 on Ingram

“Our kids came out real focused,” head coach David Yeager said. “We played up to our potential and not to our competition.”

The Yellowjackets scored 29 points in the first quarter thanks to eight-yard and two-yard runs by Clayton Maples, a one-yard scamper by Trey Brooks, and a three-yard run by Jordan Ashabranner. 

Estevan Aviles made all the extra point attempts, and Cody Tribble caught a two-point conversion pass from Brooks. 

“We made all our extra points,” Yeager said.

Coaches used two different kickers for the attempts, which was better news because of trying to create depth.

Maples added two touchdown runs in the second quarter, one from two yards out, while the other was from a yard away.

Llano was prepared for a different Warrior offense but quickly adjusted, Yeager said. 

“When you play a game like this, you want to let them dominate,” he said. “I was proud of that. When you’re the favorite to win, you come out and dominate. I was proud of the fact we kept our hands on the plow.”

By the end of the first two quarters, Llano led, 38-0, so coaches allowed reserves to take over in the second half.

The result was the same thanks to the Yellowjackets scoring 29 points in the final 24 minutes.

Jeffrey McLerran had a touchdown of 19 yards, while Clayton Tumlinson added touchdown runs of four, seven and 44 yards. 

The Llano special teams pressured Ingram into a backwards punt for a safety. 

“We kept everybody fresh,” Yeager said.

Starting quarterback Brooks, who turned an ankle in the win against Fredericksburg Oct. 3, played in the first half but took a seat in the third quarter.

“Trey is not 100 percent,” the coach said. 

Brooks was used in key situations, he said, but once the game was out of reach, Yeager did not see a reason to keep him on the field.

The Yellowjackets racked up 480 yards of total offense and gave up 21 yards. 

“They had one first down. I was upset,” a joking Yeager said of his defense. “We swarmed the ball pretty good. We were able to control the line of scrimmage.”

Linebackers Seth Graham and Reagan Friedrich also battled through injuries, so the coach was happy to see their teammates perform at a high level.

“We were pretty good upfront,” Yeager said. “A lot of backs got playing time the second half. We did some things that were OK against Ingram.”

The Yellowjackets skipper said the squad is happy to get a win and continue pursuing the playoffs.

“When you’re 1-1 in district going into the next game, the most important game is the next game,” he said. “You go into the next one focused.”